No exceptions for risks to a patient’s health or even life. LGBTQ patients would face discrimination and be denied health services at some of these hospitals, too. (The NYT just did a story on these issues, which you can read here.) We have concerns that Dignity will try to reduce its commitment to emergency services, charity care, and other services that are of particular importance to low-income and uninsured or underinsured communities.NHeLP, the ACLU, and other advocates across the state have been working together for years to push back against health care restrictions at these and other hospitals.

The ACLU has sued Dignity Health in particular twice in California over denial of reproductive health services and health care for transgender patients. This proposed merger, affecting Dignity Health hospitals across California, could further restrict access to essential health care.

Advocacy

The California Attorney General will be holding a total of 17 public meetings across the state, at each of the counties where a Dignity hospital is located. These counties are Kern, Los Angeles, Merced, Nevada, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Ventura, and Yolo.

Upcoming Actions

There will be over a dozen more meetings across the state, throughout September and possibly into October, at the fourteen other counties that contain a Dignity hospital (possibly: Calaveras, Kern, Santa Cruz, and Tehama).

Email Karen Camacho at kcamacho@aclunc.org with your name, organizational affiliation if any, email address and/or phone number, and the public meeting(s) that you are interested in attending. We will circle back with you when we have more information about your county.